5V3
by amwaltz.rain
Summary: Future-Robotesque AU: Tino is a researcher for Kirkland Enterprises. When tragedy strikes, he is called to help the youngest survivor adapt under the guard of the strange android 5V3. Rated for safety. Sufin and Dennor.
1. Chapter 1

5V3 chapter 1

The young Finn scuttled through his lab, collecting all of the chips that made up his quarterly report. Tino darted onto the lift and reached Kirkland 4. He nearly crashed into Iain Kirkland at the port. 

"Easy lad." The Scotsman warned as Tino sprinted down the corridor past the other Kirkland brothers and sister before slamming into the faulty automatic door that hadn't sensed his approach fast enough.

"Vainamoinen." Arthur butchered the name as always. "Quit running in the halls." 

"Report, sir!" Tino snapped, ignoring the mistake and rebuke. 

"Just put the chips in the desk, I'll get to them when we get back from holiday." Arthur sighed. 

"Holiday ?" Tino questioned incredulously. Arthur Kirkland never went on holiday, and certainly not with his siblings. 

"Mumsy thought it would be a good idea for the family to spend some time together boating for the next few weeks. A couple press conferences and we can evaluate the results on my return." Arthur rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed with the turn of events. 

Tino nodded and left the chips in the drawer after typing the code on the lock. He excused himself, only pausing to fleetingly wave at the youngest Kirkland, an excitable boy named Peter.  
He was free to pass through the scanners, reach the pipes and ride home with his fellow commuters. The bots that ran the stops worked seamlessly around the clock. It was a spectacular age to be alive. Pollution comparatively low to their forefathers. Quality of life all over the globe was phenomenal. Ideas of starvation and poverty were things children learned about in their history classes at school, mere bad dreams these days. As was war. Humans had moved on from that era, finding peace in the boundaries drawn with trade and travel connections stronger than ever. 

Most vocations considered menial were now automated, run by bots. Some had initially feared that the bots would put humans out of work but new necessities were created. Inventors and mechanics were in constant demand as well as scientists, like Tino who focused on biology and physiology or his cousin Lukas and his fiancé Matthias who worked over a series of bio domes researching ways of furthering energy efficiency and environmental protection. Robots were programmed to do only as they were ordered in their code. The real success had been the androids. Androids were rarer. The prototypes showed reasoning, something you could not teach a robot. Using calculations and reasonability, their actions weren't clouded by human emotions, as androids had none. Droids could make decisions and had found use sweeping the streets as security, both faster and stronger than a human. Crime grew near inexistent, a near unheard of taboo. Later droids began serving the populace and simple models came within the budget of many. A few more secretive projects that Tino may or may not have had a hand in made way for further advancements and better models for the affluent. What a wonderful world.

When Tino returned to the Kirkland buildings, the very structure was morose. He shivered at the lifelessness that permeated the walls. By this time, all of what was left of the Kirkland family had been buried save for Arthur and Peter. How so much could change in such a short time he would never know. The entire populace felt the aftershocks of the attack, a hysteria broiled in the air. 

Arthur had been in a press conference on another vessel when the bomb went off, sparing him. The others had been resting on their yacht. It had been during brunch that the bomb was detonated. Mr. and Mrs. Kirkland, the twins Carlin and Connor as well as Dylan were killed almost instantly in the sun room. From what he had heard, Iain was smoking on the observation deck with Peter the youngest chastising him about the consequences of said smoking when the bomb went off. Both were hit and thrown into the water. Iain had succumbed quickly, the damage to his spinal cord when struck with a beam rendered his legs useless. Bleeding and half paralyzed, he drowned. The worst part was young Peter. The boy who bragged about his swimming abilities, saying he could outswim anyone with one arm tied behind his back did just that. The blast tore away his left arm and scorched his back. Injured, freezing and alone he had managed to stay afloat with floundering consciousness the five hours it took for the helicopter carrying Arthur to return to the flotsam, another twenty minutes to locate the boy who was still- by some miracle-very much alive. 

Tino trudged to the lift up to Kirkland 4. The boy was still in the hospital, physicians gaging his chances of prosthetic acceptance and how much of a disability he would have to bear.  
Tino knocked on the side of the automatic door, causing the worn Arthur to flinch. 

"Hello, sir." 

"Ah. Yes. Good morning Tino. Have a seat." 

Tino sat and waited for Arthur to go over the report but he never moved for the drawer. Instead he poured a shot and threw it back just as fast before turning to the Finn. 

"Would you like anything?" 

Tino sat wide eyed, shaking his head. 

"I'm sorry. No thank you." 

The Brit shrugged and poured another, tossed it back like the last and sat in his chair. 

"Tino, I need a favor. Forget about what ever projects you were on...there's a new one. I need you to do something for me." 

Tino couldn't help but clench his jaw. Months of work for nothing apparently. Tossed away and forgotten. 

"The projects will just have to be put on hold- I'm considering something risky here and you're the only one I trust to do it." 

"What is it?" 

"I want you to see about growing my brother an arm. His own, fully functional, arm." 

"You want me to work with cloning!" 

Cloning had remained a highly controversial field that typically procured everywhere from poor results to utter failures. Animal cloning was one thing, in humans it was completely different. They'd just barely moved past splicing humans- the era of designer babies had come and gone (the trend not only proving detrimental to the psyche, both personal and societal, but also tended to cause some unwanted side effects later in the subjects' lives)- though Tino himself had to field questions as to the origin of his unusual eye color. Nothing good ever came from playing god. It wasn't enough making a race of subservient beings- oh no they had to keep pushing. They had difficulties producing singular parts, so that would mean just cloning another being because, hey? Who gives a shit they won't be people! They'll just live in labs and having their bodies harvested.

From what Tino could remember from his school days, when a group tired of being oppressed, there would be conflict. How many wars had humans caused based on this method of classing beings? But wars didn't happen anymore... And it wouldn't happen again, right? Humans were above that, right? 

"If it could work with limbs- think of what else could be restored. Eyes, ears, organs. No more waiting lists for donations, just a little lab time and patients would be good as new... Tino, it would be a good thing." Arthur said with earnest. 

Tino looked at his hands before murmuring "I'll think about it." and slouching out of the office without being dismissed.

"I know! Next he'll be asking me to bring back the dead... I don't know what to do Lukas." Tino spoke to the hologram of his cousin in the comfort of their living rooms. 

Holo-Lukas stood with his hands folded across his chest, face apathetic but eyes burning even through the projection. 

"He can't make you do such a thing. Nothing good will come of this. You do not go against nature- that will only cause trouble, I assure you-" 

Tino's mouth gaped some in horror when he saw Matthias creep up behind the still speaking Lukas. He merely raised his eyebrows before reaching behind him to grip his fiancé's tie and begin strangling him with a snarl of _"Idiot! Don't interrupt!" _and then turning back to his cousin.  
"If there are other ways of cell regeneration in ways that aren't obviously a danger to the future than work with those, if not decline and get back to your projects. Do not go against nature-" 

Holo-Matthias sputtered in his grasp. "Is this about your troll thing, again? Lukas, they don't exi-" 

Holo-Matthias was thrown to the floor out of the sensor range. 

"YOU DON'T EXIST SHITHEAD! I CAN REGRETTABLY SEE YOU JUST AS CLEARLY AS I SAW THEM AND-" 

"...Lukas... You saw... Trolls?" 

"...Let's not talk about that now. Point is- only go as far as you are comfortable. Keep it ethical and all of that. Don't go against nature and don't forget-" 

Matthias had crawled back within range... crouching outside of Lukas's view tensed and ready to pounce. 

Lukas grunted when they hit the floor out of range while Matthias laughed.  
Tino caught a muffled purr of _"Hey, Nor! You did say not to go against nature!" _and began disconnecting the holographer. 

"You idiot we are not doing that right now-" 

Tino interjected with a frantically clipped _"I'll-talk-to-you-later, see-you-soon, BYE!"_ and picked up the holographer to attach to the chain around his neck.

...

Tino fidgeted on the way up to the labs. Peter had been officially released from the hospital and now was left to undergo multiple therapies at once while avoiding the media frenzy. One of the first he would be working with was Tino to see how much arm was left to work with. 

He reached his floor and glanced through the frosted glass wall while walking around to the door. He could see the boy sitting on the couch, albeit his posture was lacking. Such a grim prospect for someone so young and having lost most of his family in a single morning, with he the only one to survive the blast. As he reached the doors he had failed to notice the tall, stoic creation standing behind the child.

...

This is one of the things:  
And that's the first chapter. There may come a day I don't kill characters off immediately... But today is not that day. I'm a terrible person and I killed people.

Iain Kirkland- Scotland  
Parents-...parents  
Carlin-Ireland twin  
Connor-Ireland twin  
Dylan Kirkland -Wales

Peter Kirkland-Sealand  
Arthur Kirkland-England  
Tino Vainamoinen- Finland (please tell me I spelled his last name right)  
5V3- Sweden  
Lukas Bondevick-Norway  
Matthias Kohler- Denmark  
... And that's the list for now.  
So obvious AU where I warp some of Asimov's robot stuff into my own piece of crap in the hopes of improving my crappy writing.  
I haven't seen the movie for I,robot in several years nor have I read the original stories in quite some time. Different endings, ethics and plot twists, oh my.  
However, I'm just gonna leave these here for now:  
A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.  
A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.  
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Don't own hetalia. I am clearly not Asimov. No ownership.

So I read somewhere that Norway's hair clip is canonically a magical cellphone. Wtf. I was on tumblr and it was late at night. Even if it's not true I'm using it as a holographer thing. Lukas's cross for his hair and Tino has his holographer as a necklace thing.  
I'm trying to figure out what else I could be forgetting right now that may need explaining but I'm drawing a blank. So guys- help an idiot out. Critiques, Questions, Comments, Concerns-let me know.  
-Waltz


	2. Chapter 2

5V3 chapter 2 

Jade. That's what the eyes were. Jade. The Finn had frozen when he slid through the doors to greet his guest. Peter hadn't looked up from his shoes, his arm across his chest to toy with the empty sleeve of his shirt. Behind the aqua sectional stood a tall man. 

"S-sir?" Tino squeaked. He hadn't been expecting another- 

When he spoke the eyes turned on him. Not human. The eyes were too sharp, the skin too perfected, the pose too unwavering. 

"This is 5V3. He's my android." Peter murmured as way of introduction. 

Tino floundered for a few moments before stuttering a weak _'O-okay.'_

Under the droid's unwavering stare he turned to the boy holding a little remote. 

"He's learning. They say that he's learning like they have to teach my nerves to work with a new arm." 

"He?" Tino's voice cracked. 

"Sve of course. He's learning. He started talking to me in the hospital. He only stopped when you walked in." 

"O-oh." 

The droid was still staring. 

... 

"Since he's such a new model, they're worried about bugs and hacking so I have a remote to control him." 

Oh well that totally made the Finn more comfortable, knowing the machine could turn around and mangle him and it be chalked up to malfunction. 

"In fact, he's the first. They needed a guard and he was ready for testing or something." 

A prototype. One glitch and the thing could blow out the side of a building. 

"They said they made him look really human-y so he can be seen with me in public or something to protect me." The boy said as he shed his shirt to show Tino his bandaged stump. 

"But I still don't get it." 

Tino nodded along with the boy, not listening to spare his sanity as he unwrapped the bandages and attached electrodes to the scarred flesh. 

It was imperative to keep the nerves alive for any ambulatory replacement. 

"Don't you think?" 

Tino hummed in agreement, still not listening as he tested the charge. 

"Does this feel alright?" He asked the boy. 

"Yeah." 

"Let me know if it starts getting uncomfortable. This is to test your responses and see how much there is to work with." 

Peter nodded his understanding and fiddled with the remote in his hand, contemplating. 

Tino put his equipment away and sent the trash to the incinerator. He was passing by the unnerving droid when he heard the crack. 

Both heads had whipped around to the boy on the table, holding the broken remote. He had broke it. Tino's stomach dropped and his mouth went dry. The prototype Android was behind him, no controls or orders. Slightest provocation or movement and the droid could do anything.

Tino internally cursed Arthur, he had not signed up for this mess. 

"Sve." The boy called and held out the pieces. "Come throw this away for me." 

The android approached and took the shards from the boy without any other reaction and tossed them in the wall bin. 

"Cool." Peter murmured, now going over the possibilities. 

Brilliant. Arthur had given a highly advanced prototyped android... To a ten year old. 

"How much longer?" He whined at Tino. 

"Does it hurt?" 

"If I lie and say yes does that mean I can go?" 

"No. Tell the truth. The results won't be honest if you aren't." 

"No... It's more like, tickle-y. And numb here." Peter pointed at an electrode. 

The nerve was dead. Another complication. Tino sighed and turned off the machine. Regrowing nerves... There was only so much he could do. Stem cells? Finicky research and the risks involved... 

He had to nail the cloning then. Tino felt a little ill at the idea. 

...Prototyping. If Arthur was allowed to be a dick and not tell him about the prototype he had to work with, he could ease Peter into the transition with mech prototypes. It could speed the recovery, and he wouldn't have to rush. He'd have time. 

He rebandaged the boy and sent him on his way, droid in tow. 

... 

Who the hell was ringing at midnight? Tino glared at the device on his table from his bed and willed it to shut off. No such luck. 

"'Lo." He slurred into the receiver. 

"Tino! I need you to come in! Peter's been freaking out and I need you to come in!" Arthur yelled at him. 

"...slow down. Tell me what happened and then I'll come help if I need to. How is he freaking out?" 

"He keeps saying his hand and arm hurts." 

"That's it? Did a door close on him? What'd he do?" 

"No. Wrong arm." 

Fuck. 

"He kept saying it hurt over dinner. It got worse when he went to bed. Will you come now?" 

Phantom. 

"I'll be right over."

...

The small boy was breathing heavily and writhing in his bed with grit teeth when Tino reached him. 

One of the Kirklands' private doctors jumped up from the chair and ran at Tino approaching the bed. 

"Who are you? You can't be here, you're not on staff here. And-" 

Too damn early. It was too damn early for this assclown. 

"Do you know what's happening?" Tino asked through his clenched jaw. 

"He's in pain. We suspect a neurological cause." 

Did they give degrees out to just anyone? Was this a joke? 

"Do you know how to fix it?" 

"Well, no. That's why we advised that Mr. Kirkland he get a specialist. The earliest they can get in is tomorrow afternoon but-" 

"Move." 

The doctor started to protest when Tino pushed past him. 

"You didn't put him on oxygen," Tino noticed. "Was there a reason?" 

"Why would we? He's having a neurological episode in his arm, nothing to do-" 

"It has plenty to do with the situation. He's hurting, panicked and that is causing more pain and the more he panics the harder it is to calm down and lower the pain to a manageable level. But you wouldn't know that would you? Go get me a damn tank and leave. Your services are no longer necessary." 

Tino reached the last platform where the bed, patient and android set. 

He ignored the steely droid in favor of getting the boy's attention. 

"Peter. Peter, can you hear me? Peter." 

The small boy was curled around his arms and choking sobs. 

"Peter. I need you to listen to me, okay? I'm going to try to help you but you need to listen." 

Peter nodded and gasped for air. 

"Sit up. Sit up." Tino instructed and helped untangle the boy. 

"Sve. Sve." Peter whined and reached for the android. 

"Sve I need your help. Come sit here and help hold him up." 

The name slipped off Tino's tongue without resistance. 

The android did as he was told and pulled the boy into his lap. Another lab coat rushed in with the oxygen equipment and attempted to put the mask on Peter before Tino reached over and snatched it away, sending the coat away with a glare. 

"Peter. I'm going to put this over your mouth and nose. It'll help you breathe easier, but I need you to sit up and slow down okay." 

The droid's arm reached around the boy's chest and kept him from curling back in on himself.  
Tino helped wipe the boy's face clear and place the mask, the android attaching it in the back as Tino twisted the valves. 

"Now, I need you to watch me. We're going to slow your breathing down. In," Tino inhaled, "Out. Nice and slow." 

It took several minutes to get Peter to breathe slowly. They were interrupted by the doctor yelling "Android bring me coffee! Android!" 

The idiot stormed into the room an pointed at Sve. "Android! I said coffee!" 

The droid didn't attempt to move, only playing with Peter's hair soothingly. 

"That's not his job." Tino deadpanned as he checked Peter's brachial pulses. 

"Android!" He shouted again, ignoring Tino's warning.  
"That's not his damn job. Quit interrupting before I make you lose yours!" 

The man stalked away muttering, upset that he had to go all the way to one of the several kitchens on the floor and get his own. 

Peter began giggling and Tino internally groaned. "Breathe slowly. Nice and slow." Even the droid appeared to have a small grin, but it had disappeared when Tino looked back. 

Peter mostly stable Tino began palpating the amputation, apologizing when the boy would hiss a breath. 

"Close your eyes... Can you tell me what it feels like?" 

"It was burning before. Now it's just squeezing really bad." 

"Okay. Can you help me with something?" 

The boy peeked through his lashes at Tino and nodded. 

"Okay, keep your eyes closed. I need you to squeeze my hand with both of yours, okay?" 

"I don't have both." 

"Just pretend. Can you visualize both arms for me." 

The boy nodded. 

"So, I'm going to take your right hand. I need you to grab my hand with your left and squeeze, okay? Concentrate on doing that for me." Tino whispered. 

They sat for several minutes in near silence, Tino patiently hoping and Peter hissing every few moments as he struggled. The droid watched intently, taking in everything with piercing jade eyes.

The boy gasped and his eyes flew open. He turned his wrist back and forth before turning his gaze to his stump. 

"I felt it." He murmured lamely. "I did it." 

"How does it feel now?" 

"It's relaxed now. It doesn't hurt at least. Just weird." 

"Okay. That's an improvement at least." 

The weary boy nodded. 

"I bet you're tired out now. You can sleep but I want you to wear the mask for the night. I have to go talk with your brother." 

"Good night." Peter murmured and rolled off of the droid's lap. 

"Good night Peter." 

... 

Tino marched into the office and position be damned, chewed Arthur out for the late call and not calling him earlier. 

To his surprise and ambivalence, Arthur didn't react. He nodded and accepted the fault the entire berating. 

"I have a proposition," 

Hell no. 

"Hear me out." 

No. 

"I'm concerned about Peter, and as the investigation goes further, the smaller the circles must become. I'd see to it that you'd be well compensated for your time." 

"What are you trying to convince me to do?" 

"Take up residence here. You've proved more competent than the doctors I have staffed here and you'd be able to closely monitor him." 

"I'm not a practicing physician." 

"You've taken the same courses but chose a separate route. You're more than capable of the job." 

"_'Take up residence'_ meaning..." Tino lead off. 

"I can see that your home would be taken care of while you're here." 

Fuck no. Who in the right mind would want to stay in their employer's house being constantly on call? 

"I'm sorry but that would be out of my scope." 

Tino turned to leave, looked to Peter's room, and walked out. 

Through the lots he decided to take the tube home instead of driving again, he could at least sleep some that way. 

Tino realized he made a deadly error when the sound of shifting ammunitions filled the tunnels.

... 

Ta-da. An update. Are you guys proud of me?  
Tino is having none of this middle of the night bull shit.  
On to lots of medically-ish notes:

•Medical stuff 101- never withhold oxygen.  
The main goals of prehospital care revolve around CABs/ABCs. C-irculation. A-irway. B-reathing. If they're breathing, you're already doing pretty good, because the first two have to be working to get that far. At least in the U.S. that's the basic protocol stuff, I can't speak for anywhere else- like different acronyms, etc.  
Is something moving and it shouldn't? 

Pressure points for bleeding, direct pressure if you can*. (Don't press on broken bones, knife sticking out of someone, etc.) 

Protect patient during epileptic episodes and keep them on the ground/in the gurney. Don't try to hold them down. If they stop breathing, wait until they stop shaking to go in. Human compensatory systems are incredible, and there's continuing research as to how well the body stores and receives oxygen.

Something not moving and it should?  
Compressions on the heart, rescue breathing for lungs.

These are a few examples and briefly glossed over. Don't use me as a source or be like 'I read this in an author note, I totally know how to give CPR and basic first aid now.' I don't want to get sued. Take an actual class, get certified and then go on with your life knowing what to do. I'm not saying don't try to help someone but knowing really helps.

Back to oxygen giving. You give them oxygen, body suddenly doesn't have to fight for it and is less likely to go into shock- shock, which can/has kill/killed people and isn't fun to treat. We don't want shock. 

Also, don't think that telling someone to calm down will calm them down. They'll want to punch you more, that's about all you'll succeed in. 

And ever help someone breathe, you're suddenly their favorite person in the world.  
Ever not be able to breathe? Chronic asthma (which sucks), bronchitis/pneumonia, wind knocked out of you, near-drowning incidents, panic attacks, all of the other situations I'm not listing because you'd be here all day. 

Yeah. It sucks and is one of the scariest things that can happen to a person. You suddenly get a lot happier when you can breathe without the whole pain/panic/what-the-fuckery/AHHH! Thing going on.

•phantom pain/limbs. A scarily prevalent occurrence in those with 'congenital defects' and amputations. Around 80% of that population experience some sort of phantom sensation/pain sometime in their lives, which is huge.  
(To separate- phantom sensation is almost exclusive to congenital absence, while phantom pain is almost exclusive to amputees.) 

This field is full of ongoing studies as no one can entirely pinpoint why this happens. Basically, the person can feel* in the absent parts. (Feelings come in any spectrum of ways: heat, pressure, contraction, stabbing, movement to scrape the surface.)

There are a few methods of 'treating' it, and Tino used one of them. Tricking the brain signals that the hands were both there.  
Mirror box is another one that is popular, though more often on screen. There's studies on the effectiveness of medicating.  
From what I've learned while playing shadow, that with any conditions, you have to see the whole picture for long term care.  
Maslow's triangle. What needs are being met, which aren't that are hindering full focus on a recovery.  
Treat/acknowledge/ try to understand and remain impartial-  
(No judging. Judging is bad. you have no idea why someone else is going through/has gone through. Not your place to judge. Don't be an asshole.)  
the underlying causes/actions. That makes things better.

So our guys are on the way down a bumpy road. Woo-hoo.

Questions? Comments? Critiques? Concerns? Let me know.  
-Waltz5V3 chapter 2  
Jade. That's what the eyes were. Jade. The Finn had frozen when he slid through the doors to greet his guest. Peter hadn't looked up from his shoes, his arm across his chest to toy with the empty sleeve of his shirt. Behind the aqua sectional stood a tall man.  
"S-sir?" Tino squeaked. He hadn't been expecting another-  
When he spoke the eyes turned on him. Not human. The eyes were too sharp, the skin too perfected, the pose too unwavering.  
"This is 5V3. He's my android." Peter murmured as way of introduction.  
Tino floundered for a few moments before stuttering a weak ~'O-okay.'~  
Under the droid's unwavering stare he turned to the boy holding a little remote.  
"He's learning. They say that he's learning like they have to teach my nerves to work with a new arm."  
"He?" Tino's voice cracked.  
"Sve of course. He's learning. He started talking to me in the hospital. He only stopped when you walked in."  
"O-oh."  
The droid was still staring.

"Since he's such a new model, they're worried about bugs and hacking so I have a remote to control him."  
Oh well that totally made the Finn more comfortable, knowing the machine could turn around and mangle him and it be chalked up to malfunction.  
"In fact, he's the first. They needed a guard and he was ready for testing or something."  
A prototype. One glitch and the thing could blow out the side of a building.  
"They said they made him look really human-y so he can be seen with me in public or something to protect me." The boy said as he shed his shirt to show Tino his bandaged stump.  
"But I still don't get it."  
Tino nodded along with the boy, not listening to spare his sanity as he unwrapped the bandages and attached electrodes to the scarred flesh.  
It was imperative to keep the nerves alive for any ambulatory replacement.  
"Don't you think?"  
Tino hummed in agreement, still not listening as he tested the charge.  
"Does this feel alright?" He asked the boy.  
"Yeah."  
"Let me know if it starts getting uncomfortable. This is to test your responses and see how much there is to work with."  
Peter nodded his understanding and fiddled with the remote in his hand, contemplating.  
Tino put his equipment away and sent the trash to the incinerator. He was passing by the unnerving droid when he heard the crack.  
Both heads had whipped around to the boy on the table, holding the broken remote. He had broke it. Tino's stomach dropped and his mouth went dry. The prototype Android was behind him, no controls or orders. Slightest provocation or movement and the droid could do anything. Tino internally cursed Arthur, he had not signed up for this mess.  
"Sve." The boy called and held out the pieces. "Come throw this away for me."  
The android approached and took the shards from the boy without any other reaction and tossed them in the wall bin.  
"Cool." Peter murmured, now going over the possibilities.  
Brilliant. Arthur had given a highly advanced prototyped android... To a ten year old.  
"How much longer?" He whined at Tino.  
"Does it hurt?"  
"If I lie and say yes does that mean I can go?"  
"No. Tell the truth. The results won't be honest if you aren't."  
"No... It's more like, tickle-y. And numb here." Peter pointed at an electrode.  
The nerve was dead. Another complication. Tino sighed and turned off the machine. Regrowing nerves... There was only so much he could do. Stem cells? Finicky research and the risks involved...  
He had to nail the cloning then. Tino felt a little ill at the idea.  
...Prototyping. If Arthur was allowed to be a dick and not tell him about the prototype he had to work with, he could ease Peter into the transition with mech prototypes. It could speed the recovery, and he wouldn't have to rush. He'd have time.  
He rebandaged the boy and sent him on his way, droid in tow.

...

Who the hell was ringing at midnight? Tino glared at the device on his table from his bed and willed it to shut off. No such luck.  
"'Lo." He slurred into the receiver.  
"Tino! I need you to come in! Peter's been freaking out and I need you to come in!" Arthur yelled at him.  
"...slow down. Tell me what happened and then I'll come help if I need to. How is he freaking out?"  
"He keeps saying his hand and arm hurts."  
"That's it? Did a door close on him? What'd he do?"  
"No. Wrong arm."  
Fuck.  
"He kept saying it hurt over dinner. It got worse when he went to bed. Will you come now?"  
Phantom.  
"I'll be right over."

...

The small boy was breathing heavily and writhing in his bed with grit teeth when Tino reached him.  
One of the Kirklands' private doctors jumped up from the chair and ran at Tino approaching the bed.  
"Who are you? You can't be here, you're not on staff here. And-"  
Too damn early. It was too damn early for this assclown.  
"Do you know what's happening?" Tino asked through his clenched jaw.  
"He's in pain. We suspect a neurological cause."  
Did they give degrees out to just anyone? Was this a joke?  
"Do you know how to fix it?"  
"Well, no. That's why we advised that Mr. Kirkland he get a specialist. The earliest they can get in is tomorrow afternoon but-"  
"Move."  
The doctor started to protest when Tino pushed past him.  
"You didn't put him on oxygen," Tino noticed. "Was there a reason?"  
"Why would we? He's having a neurological episode in his arm, nothing to do-"  
"It has plenty to do with the situation. He's hurting, panicked and that is causing more pain and the more he panics the harder it is to calm down and lower the pain to a manageable level. But you wouldn't know that would you? Go get me a damn tank and leave. Your services are no longer necessary."  
Tino reached the last platform where the bed, patient and android set.  
He ignored the steely droid in favor of getting the boy's attention.  
"Peter. Peter, can you hear me? Peter."  
The small boy was curled around his arms and choking sobs.  
"Peter. I need you to listen to me, okay? I'm going to try to help you but you need to listen."  
Peter nodded and gasped for air.  
"Sit up. Sit up." Tino instructed and helped untangle the boy.  
"Sve. Sve." Peter whined and reached for the android.  
"Sve I need your help. Come sit here and help hold him up."  
The name slipped off Tino's tongue without resistance.  
The android did as he was told and pulled the boy into his lap. Another lab coat rushed in with the oxygen equipment and attempted to put the mask on Peter before Tino reached over and snatched it away, sending the coat away with a glare.  
"Peter. I'm going to put this over your mouth and nose. It'll help you breathe easier, but I need you to sit up and slow down okay."  
The droid's arm reached around the boy's chest and kept him from curling back in on himself.  
Tino helped wipe the boy's face clear and place the mask, the android attaching it in the back as Tino twisted the valves.  
"Now, I need you to watch me. We're going to slow your breathing down. In," Tino inhaled, "Out. Nice and slow."  
It took several minutes to get Peter to breathe slowly. They were interrupted by the doctor yelling "Android bring me coffee! Android!"  
The idiot stormed into the room an pointed at Sve. "Android! I said coffee!"  
The droid didn't attempt to move, only playing with Peter's hair soothingly.  
"That's not his job." Tino deadpanned as he checked Peter's brachial pulses.  
"Android!" He shouted again, ignoring Tino's warning.  
"That's not his damn job. Quit interrupting before I make you lose yours!"  
The man stalked away muttering, upset that he had to go all the way to one of the several kitchens on the floor and get his own.  
Peter began giggling and Tino internally groaned. "Breathe slowly. Nice and slow." Even the droid appeared to have a small grin, but it had disappeared when Tino looked back.

...

Peter mostly stable Tino began palpating the amputation, apologizing when the boy would hiss a breath.  
"Close your eyes... Can you tell me what it feels like?"  
"It was burning before. Now it's just squeezing really bad."  
"Okay. Can you help me with something?"  
The boy peeked through his lashes at Tino and nodded.  
"Okay, keep your eyes closed. I need you to squeeze my hand with both of yours, okay?"  
"I don't have both."  
"Just pretend. Can you visualize both arms for me."  
The boy nodded.  
"So, I'm going to take your right hand. I need you to grab my hand with your left and squeeze, okay? Concentrate on doing that for me." Tino whispered.  
They sat for several minutes in near silence, Tino patiently hoping and Peter hissing every few moments as he struggled. The droid watched intently, taking in everything with piercing jade eyes.

The boy gasped and his eyes flew open. He turned his wrist back and forth before turning his gaze to his stump.  
"I felt it." He murmured lamely. "I did it."  
"How does it feel now?"  
"It's relaxed now. It doesn't hurt at least. Just weird."  
"Okay. That's an improvement at least."  
The weary boy nodded.  
"I bet you're tired out now. You can sleep but I want you to wear the mask for the night. I have to go talk with your brother."  
"Good night." Peter murmured and rolled off of the droid's lap.  
"Good night Peter."

...

Tino marched into the office and position be damned, chewed Arthur out for the late call and not calling him earlier.  
To his surprise and ambivalence, Arthur didn't react. He nodded and accepted the fault the entire berating.  
"I have a proposition,"  
Hell no.  
"Hear me out."  
No.  
"I'm concerned about Peter, and as the investigation goes further, the smaller the circles must become. I'd see to it that you'd be well compensated for your time."  
"What are you trying to convince me to do?"  
"Take up residence here. You've proved more competent than the doctors I have staffed here and you'd be able to closely monitor him."  
"I'm not a practicing physician."  
"You've taken the same courses but chose a separate route. You're more than capable of the job."  
"~'Take up residence'~ meaning..." Tino lead off.  
"I can see that your home would be taken care of while you're here."  
Fuck no. Who in the right mind would want to stay in their employer's house being constantly on call?  
"I'm sorry but that would be out of my scope."  
Tino turned to leave, looked to Peter's room, and walked out.  
Through the lots he decided to take the tube home instead of driving again, he could at least sleep some that way.  
Tino realized he made a deadly error when the sound of shifting ammunitions filled the tunnels.

...  
Ta-da. An update. Are you guys proud of me?  
Tino is having none of this middle of the night bull shit.  
On to lots of medically-ish notes:

•Medical stuff 101- never withhold oxygen.  
The main goals of prehospital care revolve around CABs/ABCs. C-irculation. A-irway. B-reathing. If they're breathing, you're already doing pretty good, because the first two have to be working to get that far. At least in the U.S. that's the basic protocol stuff, I can't speak for anywhere else- like different acronyms, etc.  
Is something moving and it shouldn't?  
Pressure points for bleeding, direct pressure if you can*. (Don't press on broken bones, knife sticking out of someone, etc.)  
Protect patient during epileptic episodes and keep them on the ground/in the gurney. Don't try to hold them down. If they stop breathing, wait until they stop shaking to go in. Human compensatory systems are incredible, and there's continuing research as to how well the body stores and receives oxygen.

Something not moving and it should?  
Compressions on the heart, rescue breathing for lungs.

These are a few examples and briefly glossed over. Don't use me as a source or be like 'I read this in an author note, I totally know how to give CPR and basic first aid now.' I don't want to get sued. Take an actual class, get certified and then go on with your life knowing what to do. I'm not saying don't try to help someone but knowing really helps.

Back to oxygen giving. You give them oxygen, body suddenly doesn't have to fight for it and is less likely to go into shock- shock, which can/has kill/killed people and isn't fun to treat. We don't want shock.  
Also, don't think that telling someone to calm down will calm them down. They'll want to punch you more, that's about all you'll succeed in.  
And ever help someone breathe, you're suddenly their favorite person in the world.  
Ever not be able to breathe? Chronic asthma (which sucks), bronchitis/pneumonia, wind knocked out of you, near-drowning incidents, panic attacks, all of the other situations I'm not listing because you'd be here all day.  
Yeah. It sucks and is one of the scariest things that can happen to a person. You suddenly get a lot happier when you can breathe without the whole pain/panic/what-the-fuckery/AHHH! Thing going on.

•phantom pain/limbs. A scarily prevalent occurrence in those with 'congenital defects' and amputations. Around 80% of that population experience some sort of phantom sensation/pain sometime in their lives, which is huge.  
(To separate- phantom sensation is almost exclusive to congenital absence, while phantom pain is almost exclusive to amputees.)  
This field is full of ongoing studies as no one can entirely pinpoint why this happens. Basically, the person can feel* in the absent parts. (Feelings come in any spectrum of ways: heat, pressure, contraction, stabbing, movement to scrape the surface.)

There are a few methods of 'treating' it, and Tino used one of them. Tricking the brain signals that the hands were both there.  
Mirror box is another one that is popular, though more often on screen There's studies on the effectiveness of medicating.  
From what I've learned while playing shadow, that with any conditions, you have to see the whole picture for long term care.  
Maslow's triangle. What needs are being met, which aren't that are hindering full focus on a recovery.  
Treat/acknowledge/ try to understand and remain impartial-  
(No judging. Judging is bad. you have no idea why someone else is going through/has gone through. Not your place to judge. Don't be an asshole.)  
the underlying causes/actions. That makes things better.

So our guys are on the way down a bumpy road. Woo-hoo.

Questions? Comments? Critiques? Concerns? Let me know.  
-Waltz


End file.
